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BURNING MAN

The annual Burning Man festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert is perhaps the world's most surrealistic outdoor event. Begun in 1986 as a small gathering on a Bay Area beach, Burning Man now attracts 35,000 artists and participants, who converge each August to create the massive temporary encampment known as Black Rock City, a precise geometric formation which from the air resembles a futuristic civilization on another planet. Lasting only one week, the event's primary directive, "Leave No Trace," remarkably ensures that the vast site, an ancient and featureless dry lakebed, is quickly returned to its pristine state.

Numerous art installations and structures of every description populate the perfectly flat expanse known as the playa, and each year a different theme dictates the main attractions which are seen and visited by thousands daily ("The Floating World" was 2002's water theme, "Beyond Belief" the metaphysical theme for 2003 and for 2004 it's the celestial "Vault of Heaven"). The relentless desert sun occasionally gives way to severe dust storms which envelop everything in an impenetrable cloud of fine powder, mandating that all attendees be fully prepared at all times with dust masks, goggles and water. Burning Man tickets even specify that participants "voluntarily assume the risk of serious injury or death," and hundreds of "Burners" are typically treated each day for dehydration.

At the center of Black Rock City is the Man, a 75-foot high wood and neon figure on a large platform, which is, of course, burned with great ceremony and fireworks on the final Saturday night as thousands of onlookers displaying an almost religious zeal surround the raging inferno, known as the Burn. Many other large and small structures and artworks are also incinerated in the weeklong orgy of fire, which frequently emanates from flamethrowers mounted on bizarre Mad Max-type vehicles or the mouth of a mobile 120-foot-long dragon.

Burning Man really comes alive in the cool of the night as thousands on bicycles cruise the promenades and avenues, and numerous sound systems and laser projections fill the air with music and the sky with mesmerizing patterns. High technology is apparent at every turn, as illuminated kinetic devices spin in every direction and homemade aircraft hover overhead. In contrast to the evening's party atmosphere, architecturally sublime structures, like David BestŐs annual temples, offer spiritual solace and opportunity for quiet contemplation.

The popularity of Burning Man has seen attendance rise steadily each year, and only a limited number of tickets are now sold. Participants must bring all their food, copious amounts of water and other necessities for a week in the desert, and nothing but coffee and ice (for coolers) is sold. Even barter is discouraged in favor of a "gift economy," which seems to ensure that everyone gets the help they need to survive the harsh conditions. The Burning Man paradigm, formulated by founder Larry Harvey, has spread to regional BM events around the US and beyond, and Harvey frequently lectures at cultural institutions and universities in America and Europe.

The art of Burning Man has been granted a new measure of legitimacy and recognition with the appearance of "The Art and Culture of Burning Man," an article by Daniel Pinchbeck in the November 2003 issue of Artforum, and articles following the 2005 event in Art in America and Art Review. As the cultural influence of the event continues to expand, Burning Man is clearly hot by any standard.

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Gabe Kirchheimer has photographed Burning Man since 1998, and his BM pictures have appeared in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Artforum, Design House Korea, Domus and other publications. His work continues to be featured by the Burning Man organization, and his classic aerial photo of Burning Man 2000 has been published worldwide and hangs in the Nevada Legislature. Please contact the photographer to view more pictures or to discuss an assignment.


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